1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to weatherstripping for a motor vehicle, and more particularly to door weatherstripping to be attached along a periphery of a door panel of a sash-less door of a hardtop motor vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
As illustrated in FIG. 1, in the hardtop-type motor vehicle, door weatherstripping W is attached along a periphery of a door panel 10 of a sash-less door 12 for effecting a seal between the door panel 10 and a door opening edge 14 of a vehicle body. Roof-side weatherstripping 16 is attached along an upper half of the door opening edge 14 for effecting a seal between a door window pane 18 and the door opening edge 14.
Upon the closing of the sash-less door 12, front and rear upper ends of the door weatherstripping W are pressed into contact with front and rear lower ends of the roof-side weatherstripping 16 to effect a seal therebetween.
One conventional example of such door weatherstripping is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. As shown therein, conventional door weatherstripping W1 has a main portion 20 attached along a periphery of a door inner panel 22 and a front end portion 24 joined to a front end of the main portion 20. The front end portion 24 is secured to a front upper corner of the door inner panel 22. The door weatherstripping W1 also has at its rear end a rear end portion having an approximately identical configuration to that of the front upper end portion 24, which is to be secured to a rear upper corner of the door inner panel 22.
The main portion 20 of the conventional door weatherstripping W1 is an extruded body of rubber such as ethylene propylene rubber (EPDM). The front end portion 24 is formed by molding at the front end of the main portion 20. FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-section of the front end portion 24. As shown, the end portion 24 has a cross-section conforming with the front upper corner of the door inner panel 22, and includes an insert member 26 composed of a metallic plate which is embedded in a rubber member 28 composed of rubber of the same kind as the main portion 20.
The end portion 24 thus arranged is molded by placing the front end of the main portion 20 and the insert member 26 in a cavity of a mold, and injecting a rubber material thereinto. The end portion 24 thus molded is secured to the door inner panel 22 by fitting a clip into a clip hole 30 provided through the rubber member 28 and insert member 26.
In this conventional door weatherstripping W1, the weight proportion of the metallic insert member 26 is large. So, it has been desired to reduce the weight of the metallic insert member 26. By using synthetic resin, the weight of the insert member can be reduced, and manufacturing costs can be also reduced. The synthetic resin insert member, however, has the problem that the synthetic resin may be melted at the vulcanization temperature of rubber during molding and vulcanizing of the end portion of the door weatherstripping.